Two Men's Efforts To Help Migrants In Mexico End In Their Murders

Two years ago, Honduran Wilson Castro was one of countless migrants trying to make his way to the United States. He decided to stay in Mexico instead and help Adrian Rodriguez Garcia feed other migrants traveling through by train. The two men were murdered recently in Huehuetoca, Mexico.

Carrie Kahn

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Originally published on November 26, 2014 9:29 pm

This is the story of the murder of two aid workers in Mexico. The men fed Central American migrants traveling north through Mexico on a freight train that stopped near their home.

They were critical of both corrupt police, who abused and extorted the migrants, as well as the organized crime gangs that kidnapped and robbed them.

It wasn't hard to find the two men — they were never far from the train tracks — but there were no witnesses to their deaths, and police won't comment about the case. The double homicide didn't even get a mention in the local press.

Last June, I walked the rock-filled tracks with Adrian Rodriguez Garcia. It was quite a hike from his house to where migrants would gather and wait for his meals.

Everyone called him "La Polla." He was the "mother hen" to thousands of migrants, mostly from Central America, who knew that when they got off the train near the central Mexican town of Huehuetoca, La Polla would be there with hot coffee and sweet bread in the morning, or a hot meal in the afternoon — rain or shine.

"I like helping people," he said.

Garcia said he started feeding the migrants near the town, about 35 miles north of Mexico City, about 10 years ago.

"I see how they suffer, how destroyed their feet are from walking such long distances, how they are always targeted by corrupt cops of crime gangs," he said.

He just wanted to make this small leg of their journey a little lighter.

After all, Garcia said, "We are all human beings, the only thing different about us is that we come from different countries."

Garcia dyed his long hair a light red color and pulled it back with a bright head band. He liked to paint his nails and wear sparkling rings. He told me he was a transvestite, and maybe that's why he related so much to the cast-aside migrants; he, too, felt he was an outsider.

Two years ago, a Honduran named Wilson Castro jumped off the train at Huehuetoca and decided to stay.

"I'm also a migrant," said Castro. "I know how much they suffer along the trip north — some die falling off the train or lose limbs, I've seen it all."

Castro was the quieter side to Garcia's flamboyance, but equally committed.

Handouts And Hard Work

The two didn't have a lot to hand out. One day when I was out at the tracks with them, Garcia lined up a group of about 20 migrants and passed out hot tortillas, beans, a slice of cheese and a few jokes.

He had an easy, loud laugh, but clearly there was a serious side to the work.

Earlier this year, both men thwarted an attempt to kidnap migrants at the train tracks. Castro held one of the suspected kidnappers while Garcia called the police.

Both gave statements to the authorities, and both received death threats, but according to human rights workers Garcia and Castro had been promised police protection.

None was provided, says Jorge Andrade, a human rights worker.

Last Sunday, after they handed out the evening meal, Andrade says the pair drove back to their house. They still were sitting in the car outside, talking, when members of Garcia's family who were in the house heard the shots.

Garcia died instantly from a shot to the head and heart. Castro, shot in the heart and lungs, died a day later. Police are not commenting.

At a press conference Wednesday, aid worker Andrea Gonzalez said authorities long had been aware of the criminal gangs operating in the region and the threats to the men, yet did nothing.

"We can no longer permit this type of violence and impunity to permeate our society," she said.

Castro's body is being sent home to his family in Honduras. Garcia was buried Tuesday in the small cemetery in town not far from his house — not far from the train tracks.

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AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:

Now a story from Mexico about two murdered aid workers. They were not strangers to NPR's air. Our Mexico correspondent Carrie Kahn met them through their work helping and feeding Central American migrants. A freight train the migrants traveled on stopped near their home. Both men were critical of corrupt police and organized crime gangs who targeted the migrants. Earlier this week, the two men were killed. NPR's Carrie Kahn has this remembrance.

(SOUNDBITE OF TRAIN WHISTLE)

CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: It was always easy to find the two. They were never far from the train tracks. Last June, I walked the tracks with Adrian Rodriguez Garcia. It's quite a hike from his house to where migrants gather and wait for his meals. Everyone knew him as La Polla. He was the mother hen to thousands of migrants, mostly from Central America. They knew when they got off the train in central Mexico near the town of Huehuetoca, La Polla would be there with hot coffee and sweet bread in the morning or a hot meal in the afternoon - rain or shine.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

ADRIAN RODRIGUEZ GARCIA: (Spanish spoken).

KAHN: He told me he started feeding the migrants here about 10 years ago. He saw how much they suffered, how destroyed their feet were from walking such long distances, how they were always targeted by corrupt cops or crime gangs.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

GARCIA: (Spanish spoken).

KAHN: We are all human beings, he told me. The only thing different about us is that we come from different countries. Adrian died his long hair a light red color and pulled it back with a bright headband. He liked to paint his nails and wear sparkling rings. He told me he was a transvestite, and maybe that's why he related so much to the cast aside migrants. He, too, felt on the outside. Two years ago, one Honduran jumped the train at Huehuetoca and decided to stay. His name was Wilson Castro.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

WILSON CASTRO: (Spanish spoken).

KAHN: I'm also a migrant, said Wilson. I know how much they suffer along the trip north. Some die falling off the train or lose limbs. I've seen it all, he said. He was the quieter side to Adrian's flamboyance, but equally committed.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

GARCIA: (Spanish spoken).

KAHN: The two didn't have a lot to hand out. On this day, Adrian lined up a group of about 20 migrants and passed out hot tortillas, beans, a slice of cheese and a few jokes.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

GARCIA: (Spanish spoken) (Laughter).

KAHN: But clearly, there was a serious side to the work. For one story I was working on about abuse in Mexico's migrant detention facilities, Wilson told me about being held for two months in an overcrowded cell where gang members robbed and extorted the migrants. Earlier this year, both men thwarted a kidnapping attempt of migrants at the train tracks. Wilson held one of the suspected kidnappers, while Adrian called the police. Both gave statements to the authorities. Both received death threats. And according to human rights workers, both had been promised police protection, although none was provided, says Jorge Andrade, a human rights worker.

JORGE ANDRADE: (Spanish spoken).

KAHN: Last Sunday, after they handed out the evening meal, Andrade says, the two drove back to their house. They were sitting in the car talking when Adrian's family heard the shots. Adrian died instantly from a shot to the head and heart. Wilson died a day later. Police are not commenting. At a press conference today, aid worker Andrea Gonzalez said, authorities had long been aware of the criminal gangs operating in the region and the threats to the men, yet did nothing.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

ANDREA GONZALEZ: (Spanish spoken).

KAHN: She said, we can no longer permit this type of violence and impunity to permeate our society. Wilson's body is being sent home to his family in Honduras. Adrian was buried yesterday in the small cemetery in town not far from his house, not far from the train tracks. Carrie Kahn, NPR News, Mexico City. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.